Continue to hear a lot of anti-Oscar Performance chatter both in person and around the interwebs, but to me, he remains a deserving vavorite to win the upcoming Grade 1, $400,000 Secretariat Stakes, the first of three Grade 1s here today at Arlington. John Q. Public might feel the same, as Permian has just opened the 8/5 favorite over 5/2 Oscar P. Oscar is favored in the double and the pick three, and do expect him to be the post-time favorite.

The "knock" on Oscar is that he's been gifted comfy pace setups in his last two wins, which I suppose is true, but I actually give the horse credit for being a front-runner who also can go a moderate clip and finish. And can he finish off a fast pace? Did you see the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf?

So, yeah, it's hard for me to urge folks to abandon their desire to beat a short-priced chalk they see as vulnerable. It's just that I don't see it that way. I see Oscar sitting just outside Sonic Boom as Permian and Taj Mahal stalk in behind, Afandem and Gorgeous Kitten the back markers. Whether Sonic Boom tries to win it going fast or back up the pace and finish, Oscar figures to stick to his hip.

Permian obviously is a fine horse, but the Euro 3-year-old males are generally of questionably quality in 2017, and cutting back from three mile-and-a-half races to an American mile-and-a-quarter, I wonder if he'll produce the needed turn of foot if, as I see the race playing out, he sits just in behind.

We'll know soon enough now.